The Takeuchi TB257FR hydraulic excavator is a 5.7-metric-ton, 54-horsepower machine.
A long boom and a 9-foot stick combine to give operators a dig depth of just over 12 feet 9 inches.
Its most noticeable feature is its patented side-to-side, or STS, offset boom. The combination of the STS boom and a tight tail swing enables the excavator to fully rotate with very little overhang.
That aims the TB257FR squarely at urban work, road and bridge construction, and other close-in applications.
Read a more detailed analysis of the excavator at Professionals Evaluate Takeuchi TB257FR Excavator
It can dig offset over each track without having to be repositioned, and a low center of gravity and optimized counterweight is meant to create a stable platform with lifting capabilities comparable to a conventional unit, according to Takeuchi.
See what the independent operator/instructors from the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 thought of the unit.
